My first ever built CNC router.

[RobC]

Hello Tim, I did exactly the same as you but posted my build progress as I went so I got help before I made any purchases for expensive wrong items. I'd strongly recommend if you can to cancel the air cooled spindle and get a water cooled 2.2kw spindle and the reciprocal VFD for such. You will only ever hear the motors and cutting instead of a constant noise which for me kills the fun of watching your machine make something

Breakout board, so many to chose from. You can go all out cheap and buy a generic 5 axis one for £6, they work perfectly in my experience only you likely will need to buy a Uc100 to convert from serial to USB if you do not have a serial capable motherboard. They're around £100 so take your pick wisely, I'd recommend going for a newer ethernet one with gecko drivers.

The big thing which I can't say enough which I didn't do but now try in all my designs is one very clear statement. If you can't make it perfect, at least make it adjustable! Makes like so much easier when later you think, why can I not get a perfectly smooth face and you then need to start cutting shims and making cuts so you can tram an axis in if you are not able to (What muggings here had to do because I'm impatient).

Here is my first machine all be it on its second iteration with a new gantry milled from 20mm ali instead of 10mm steel which it previously had. The first image is my complete disaster if im honest, I relied too much on the steel being true of which it wasn't so here is the latest version in the second picture In an old enclosure.




I'm still not sure if its worth making a new one when I can because I'm holding good tolerance .01mm most of the time and it works well.

Kind Regards
Rob